Buck-shooting in Windsor Great Park 1825

John Frederick Lewis painted this scene of Buck-shooting in Windsor Great Park using oil on canvas. The artist employed traditional painting techniques, layering the oil paints to build up color and texture, to evoke the scene. The painting gives us a glimpse into the culture of the British upper class. The gentlemen’s clothing, horses, and guns symbolize wealth and leisure, and their presence in Windsor Great Park signifies their privileged access to land and resources. In terms of the labor involved, there is no reference to the working classes needed to sustain such pursuits. The artist may also be touching on issues of labor and class by depicting a scene of leisure and privilege, set against the backdrop of a working landscape. Lewis’s painting prompts us to consider how fine art and craft intersect with social and political themes.